“Who knows? Having lived to such an old age, who’s to say how many enemies she might have made? How would we know?”
“Perhaps she committed some heinous crimes that brought revenge upon her. We should watch our words to avoid getting into trouble!”
Lin Pianran spoke casually while subtly warning her maid.
Yet her expression remained completely relaxed, utterly unaffected by the old lady’s murder.
In truth, her heart danced with joy: That damned old hag, so wicked! She should have died long ago! Serves her right! Letting you off so easily was too merciful!…
Noticing her young mistress seemed uninterested in the matter, Huanxue tactfully agreed, “You’re absolutely right, young mistress!”
“The old lady was always unkind to you, young mistress. Several times, she favored the other Lin family young ladies and ordered her old maids to punish you by making you kneel in the ancestral hall or having your palms struck. She showed no grandmotherly compassion toward you.”
“Her death truly has nothing to do with us!”
Lin Pianran then softly cautioned, “Keep any dissatisfaction to yourself.”
“Don’t speak of it in front of others, and don’t show it, lest someone notice and use it against you. That would only bring trouble!”
“Yes, young mistress. This servant will remember! From now on, I’ll be careful with my words and actions!”
Just then, a commotion arose in the courtyard.
Tianzhu lightly knocked on the door and entered after receiving permission. “Young mistress, officials are here! They wish to ask you some questions and are already waiting in the courtyard!”
Lin Pianran emerged from the side room with her two maids.
Zhao Yurou and Lin Chuyan stood in the center of the courtyard with two government officers.
Seeing Lin Pianran, Lin Chuyan rushed forward and demanded, “Lin Pianran, poisonous snakes were found in all our rooms. Why are you standing here safe and sound? Did you release those snakes?”
“Don’t make baseless accusations!” Lin Pianran retorted indignantly.
She then glanced casually at Huanxue, who produced a cage containing several listless snakes.
Pointing at the snake cage, Lin Pianran smiled and said, “Many snakes were found in my room too. Some escaped, so we only managed to catch these few.”
“Would you like them, sister? I can give them all to you!”
“You…” Lin Chuyan took two small steps back in fright, her aggressive demeanor diminishing slightly.
Frowning slightly at the cage, Lin Chuyan pressed, “Many valuable items are missing from our rooms. Did you steal them?”
“Third Sister, as a young lady from a respectable family, you shouldn’t make unfounded accusations. It reflects poorly on your upbringing and annoys people,” Lin Pianran coldly countered.
Then, switching to a pleasant expression, she addressed the officers, “Please see for yourselves—my room has also suffered significant losses.”
“I was just about to report to the authorities when you arrived!”
“Officers, please come in and conduct your investigation!”
“I hope my stolen belongings can be recovered soon! I’m so distressed about losing them!”
She even covered her face with a handkerchief and feigned soft sobs.
Lin Pianran’s words and expressions were perfectly executed, leaving no room for anyone to detect the slightest flaw.
They even cleared a path to let everyone inspect the side room.
Inside, there was only a bed and nothing else.
It was largely similar to the rooms of the other victims.
After a brief inspection, the two government officers took their leave and departed.
Lin Chuyan couldn’t help but laugh mockingly, “I thought you might be the one to slip through the net and become the exception! Turns out your room was cleaned out too!”
“You insisted on taking so many fine things back from us yesterday, and now you couldn’t keep a single one? What a pity!”
“At least they weren’t lost while in our possession. Otherwise, our losses would have been even greater!”
She wore a smug expression.
Lin Pianran sneered coldly.
It was truly a case of the pot calling the kettle black.
Some people were like this—when they suffered misfortune, they wished for others to suffer even more.
If they were unlucky but others weren’t, they’d feel unhappy and resentful.
Lin Pianran retorted sharply, “Third Sister, you’re such a great beauty renowned throughout Jing, yet they didn’t spare you. Why would they let a nobody like me off?”
Then she turned to Zhao Yurou, “Madam, what should we do? If our belongings aren’t recovered and we’re left penniless, how will we eat?”
Lin Chuyan shot Lin Pianran a sarcastic glance but said nothing.
The meaning in her eyes was clear—how could they possibly have nothing to eat?
They had so many relatives! One of them was even Consort De in the palace, so there was no need to worry.
Seeing that she couldn’t pin anything on Lin Pianran, Zhao Yurou softly comforted her, “I still need to go to your grandmother’s place to see the results of the official investigation. You should come along.”
Lin Pianran had no choice but to follow.
At that moment, Old Madam Lin’s courtyard was packed with people.
Not only were there government officials, but also members of the Lin family and their relatives and friends.
There were even many busybodies constantly inquiring about the inside story.
Everyone crowded together, discussing animatedly.
“Old Madam Lin was so advanced in years—who could she have offended? I heard all her blood drained out, the entire bed was stained crimson. Just seeing it would give anyone nightmares!”
“Exactly! To not die peacefully at such an old age—how tragic!”
Someone who didn’t get along with the Lin family whispered, “Perhaps she did too many wicked deeds, and her enemies came for revenge! Better to offend fewer people and do less evil in the future.”
“The body can’t possibly be buried in the Royal Hunting Ground, right? It must be interred in the Lin Family Ancestral Grave. After the officials finish examining the body, they’ll send it back to Jing, won’t they?”
“Not only did they kill, but they also looted all the valuables. This person is truly formidable—we must never cross them!”
“But how did they move so many belongings? I heard even large items like tables, chairs, and treasure shelves were taken. How many people would that require?”
“Right, where could they hide all that? The authorities must search every mansion and courtyard before the stolen goods are moved, surely?”
“Don’t you think the Lin family is cursed? The third young master was bitten by a wolf, the second madam and eldest young lady were bitten by snakes, Old Madam Lin had her throat slit, and all their possessions vanished into thin air. Misfortunes never come singly!”
“Shh… Stop talking! I’m trembling with fear. I’m leaving now!”
……
Various discussions arose one after another.
Lin Pianran hid among the crowd, saying little.
Lin Aodong and Lin Aosong accompanied the government officers in examining Old Madam Lin’s body, unwilling to overlook the slightest clue.
Both of them appeared dejected, looking utterly heartbroken and desolate.
They seemed to have aged more than ten years in an instant.